Food &amp; Wine Calendar

Created 03/30/2011 - 10:49

THURSDAY, March 30

Beer 101: Ages 21 and up can learn about craft beers, including how they are made, their history and varied styles available plus participate in a tasting; 7:30-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, March 31-May 5; Miami Dade College-Kendall Campus, 11011 SW 104th St., Kendall; $125 for six sessions. 305-237-2976 or www.mdc.edu/ce/kendall.

Miami-Dade County Fair: The 60th annual event continues through Sunday with a special food event today. General hours are 3 p.m.-midnight Thursday and Friday and noon-midnight Saturday and Sunday; Fair Expo Center, 10901 Coral Way, Southwest Miami-Dade; general admission is $10, free for kids 5 and under (other discounts and deals available. Call 305-223-7060 or go to www.fairexpo.com):

*It’s Vegalicious Scholarship Contest: The market and Sublime restaurant in Fort Lauderdale invite vegan recipes from high school seniors for the 2010-2011 school year who must be enrolled in a Broward, Palm-Beach or Miami-Dade high schools. All entries must be submitted via the online form and include all required data (photo and recipe). Recipe must include every ingredient, garnishes, weights/measurements, equipment with sizes and preparation instructions. Only one entry is permitted per student. Judging criteria are creativity, presentation and flavor. Three finalists will be selected and notified on or before April 22. Finalists must prepare and bring their dishes to Sublime, 1431 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale, at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 1 for judging. Contestants must be present to win.grand prize, a $5,000 check. Two runners-up receive $500 graduation dinners at Sublime. Deadline for submission is April 15. Go to www.itsvegalicious.com for entry form, rules and more information.

*Whole Planet Foundation Taste of the Nations Cooking Class: Learn about communities helped by Whole Planet Foundation and taste various dishes native to those areas. Also learn how to cook one dish from start to finish with Cory, the store’s demo specialist. Event is a run-up to Taste of the Nation, which will be held on April 13 in Palm Beach, June 2 in Fort Lauderdale and July 7 in Miami; class is at 7 p.m., $10, registration required; 6701 Red Rd., Coral Gables. 305-421-9421.

Roots in the City Farmer’s Market: 1-4 p.m. (also Wednesdays), through May 27; at the corner of Northwest Second Avenue and 10th Street, Miami. Call Maggi Pons at 305-772-3229 or go to www.rootsinthecity.net for more information.

Wine & Culinary Celebration: The 16th annual event features more than 30 of South Florida’s top restaurants and more than 200 wines and spirits from around the world provided by Southern Wine and Spirits. This year’s event features “Chef Spotlight” with cooking demos by chefs Oliver Saucy of Café Maxx in Pompano Beach, Marc Gruverman of The Capital Grille in Fort Lauderdale and Sean McDonald of ilios in Fort Lauderdale. Also includes a silent auction and a free Riedel wine glass; 6-11 p.m. VIP admission and 7:30-9:30 p.m. general admission; Museum of Discovery & Science, 401 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale; $150 VIP (includes martini reception 6-7:30 p.m., wine tasting seminars, VIP access to the grand tasting and exclusive access to the VIP lounge 8-11 p.m.), $85 general admission. 954-713-0954 or www.mods.org.

Normandy Village Marketplace: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., in the 900 block of 71st Street at the Normandy Isle Fountain, along the Rue Vendome North Beach, Miami Beach. 305-531-0038 or claire@themarketcompany.org or www.themarketcompany.org.

Treasured Wishes: Plantation Junior Woman’s Club presents event with a pirate theme, dinner and dancing, open bar, raffles, silent and live auctions and games to benefits Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, a group that fulfills wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses; 7-11 p.m., International Game Fish Association’s Fishing Hall of Fame, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach; $100. 954-797-9762 or www.blacktie-southflorida.com or www.plantationjuniorwomansclub.org.

Block Party Wednesday: Each Whole Foods’ team prepares a dish featuring ingredients from its department. Participants can taste free samples around the store and vote for their favorite. The winning team scores the golden spatula. Pick up a ballot in produce department to cast vote; 5:30-7 p.m., Whole Foods Market, 810 University Dr., Coral Springs; free. 954-753-8000 or www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

Blues, Brews & BBQ: Fourth annual event is for ages 21 and up; 5-11 (through Friday, April 8 and 3-11 p.m. Saturday, April 9); various blues performers appear each day plus a beer tasting on April 7 and barbecue competition on April 8; today’s kick-off includes a cigar tasting and performance by William “Big Bill’’ Morganfield, blues singer and guitarist and son of blues legend Muddy Waters; prices vary, today’s event is $65. Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, 5550 NW 40th St., Coconut Creek. 954-977-6700 or www.seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com.

Pembroke Pines Charter Schools Benefit Night Series: Dine at select Pollo Tropical restaurants on the first Wednesday of each month through June 1 and 20 percent of the sales generated by the guests of Pembroke Pines Charter Schools will be donated to the schools. Guests must present a benefit night voucher at the time of purchase to have their meals count toward the schools; 5-8 p.m. Go to www.pinescharter.net to get a benefit night voucher. Participating Pollo Tropicals are 11429 Pines Blvd., 17539 Pines Blvd. and 8299 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines.

University of Miami Farmer’s Market: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., University of Miami Main Campus, Stanford Drive and U.S. 1, west of the Student Center, Coral Gables. 305-531-0038 or claire@themarketcompany.org or www.themarketcompany.org.

Wine Down Wednesday: Features live music by Oscar Fuentes Combo, Latin beat poetry fusion band, at 7 p.m. plus see the large private collection of paintings by Florida-based artists; 5-8 p.m., HistoryMiami, 101 W. Flagler St., Miami; $15 open wine bar and light snacks, $5 per glass, free glass of wine for HistoryMiami members and Miami-Dade County employees, free general admission. 305-375-1492 or rsvp@historymiami.org or www.hmsf.org or www.omiami.org.

Wine Walk Wednesdays: Sample unique wines paired with fine cheeses at 15 shops throughout the village. Also features live entertainment and raffles. All participants must be 21 and up and show a valid ID. In celebration of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the event proceeds benefit Kids In Distress; 7-10 p.m., The Village at Gulfstream Park, 501 S. Federal Hwy., Hallandale Beach; $10 (includes a commemorative wine glass), wine walkers must check in at Full Bodied Wine & Spa located on Derby Lane to register the day of the event. www.thevillageatgulfstreampark.com.